Health and Medicine

SALEM, Ore. – One of the most influential state lawmakers in Salem wants Oregon to make what he calls a “game-changing” investment in community mental health services. Democratic Senate President Peter Courtney proposes a dedicated tax or fee to cover the expense.

According to the Oregon Health Authority, fewer than half of adults who need mental health treatment actually get it. The number is even lower for young people.

SALEM, Ore. - Oregon is working to expand medical coverage under the federal health care overhaul. But advocates of universal health care say it doesn’t go far enough. They rallied on the steps of the state capitol in Salem Monday -- the first day of work for the 2013 legislative session.

Among the rally's speakers was Wes Brain from southern Oregon. He said he has had cancer, and his daughter died of Leukemia four years ago. He believes there were unnecessary barriers for her treatment.

SALEM, Ore. - For decades, Oregon’s trial lawyers and doctors have battled over medical malpractice. Now, the state’s physician governor has brokered a deal aimed at reducing medical malpractice lawsuits. It’s one of the high-profile issues in the legislative session that gets underway Monday. But the state's medical community is deeply divided over the proposal.

SALEM, Ore. – Oregon businesses and homeowners who are battling bed bugs would get a new level of anonymity under a measure being considered in Salem. A House panel will take up a bill next week that would shield data about bed bugs from public disclosure.

Steve Keifer with the Oregon Health Authority says bed bugs are much more prevalent in Oregon than they were just a few years ago. But how common are the tiny pests? No one really knows.

SALEM, Ore. – Recent mass shootings in Oregon and Connecticut have thrust mental health issues into the spotlight. Some Oregon lawmakers and mental health advocates hope there's enough momentum to keep the conversation front and center. Unlike gun control, there is a consensus that appears to be emerging on funding mental health programs.

Here’s the latest wrinkle in implementing Washington’s new marijuana law: Can courts restrict people on probation from using pot recreationally? That question was the subject of a committee hearing Monday in Olympia.

Under Washington law, a judge can order a felon to refrain from alcohol as one of the terms of the offender's court supervision.

The idea is that drinking could lead someone to re-offend, says Lisa Johnson. She handles sexual assault cases for the King County Prosecutor's Office.

SALEM, Ore. – Oregon lawmakers will consider a possible cure for a chronic pain in the neck for doctors and hospitals. Governor John Kitzhaber says he's helped broker a deal between lawyers and doctors about curbing the cost of liability insurance.

SALEM, Ore. –The Oregon Lottery spends millions of dollars a year to prevent gambling addiction. But some Oregon lawmakers say that effort has been ineffective. Now, a legislative committee may force the Lottery to hire someone to coordinate its anti-addiction efforts.

Jeff Marotta runs a Portland-based consulting firm that helps lottery agencies nationwide develop anti-addiction programs. He chaired a work group convened by the Lottery that found its anti-addiction efforts lacked focus.